Lbeale

Hi Bob, Pleasure to meet you last night. You were so "game" to develop you skills -- and so trusting and friendly -- that it was easy to work with you. If you intend to come to the skills session next week, just let me know and I will bring an extra spray skirt for you. Les

Hello BigBird, Yes--please come and people will help you develop wet exit skills--new to kayaking folks always welcome to skills sessions-- Just remember to dress for submersion if you want to do wet exits-- Les

Last night at Walden there was a few hardy souls who showed up to practice skills--upon our arrival, we were told that there was no swimming due to high bacteria count. Did I say we were "hardy souls"? To prove how hardy, we paddled to the middle of the lake where supposedly there is less bacteria do practice rolling. I, being not so hardy, worked on strokes--forward, back, bow rudder, turn boat 360 with the least amount of strokes (n=4)--hoping for (n=2) by the end f the summer-- Next week hope to work more on strokes and rolling-- join us--

Thanks Bill -- Detail instructions much appreciated -- look forward to seeing you later -- alligator -- Les

Just emailed you --thanks for your help--I can be reached at lbealeatspringfieldcollegedotedu--

I am doing a workshop this weekend and I need a drysuit. Mine is being repaired by Kokatat. I was expecting it this week-- but alas, it has taken longer to do the repairs than expected-- Does anyone know where I can rent or borrow a size small drysuit? Les

Looking to start the much-talked-about Walden Pond Skills Sessions starting the first Wednesday in June, 6/3/15. Feel free to join me and others for kayak fun and festivities starting around 5:30 pm and off the water when the ranger yells at us about 7:15 or so -- The sessions are free but there is a charge for parking at the boat launch (about 5 buckaroos each time) -- season's pass is highly recommended. Les

As most people in the club know, I have been using the wing paddle for many years but for different reasons than the manly-men in the club (that's a joke - not being disrespectful) . I paddle mostly with men and it does give me some umph over long distances when I need to keep up and not be a girlie-girl (rumor has it that is what Freya calls paddlers she has to wait for). The wing does help people like me - slight and small - in relatively calm waters. However, I have found the wing has some serious if not dangerous drawbacks in conditions for paddlers like me. I think in his previous post Doug was referring to me losing it when we paddle in conditions. If so, alas, I do have my tale of woe. Based on my experiences, the wing does have serious limitations in conditions. When I asked Oscar about the drawbacks of paddling a wing in strong winds, his response was he did not know what I was talking about. He wouldn't given his size, strength and weight. If winds are 25 knots, more or less, beam or otherwise, the wing paddle acts as a propeller in my hands. It does not matter if I hold it low or high, I get this propeller effect. Every time I lift it out the water, it starts to twist and turn as the strong winds get caught on its curved edges and lifts it up. When this happens, I am not not only trying to control the boat but also the paddle that acts like it just took a hit of meth or pcp. Plus, I lack traction because of the weird angles produced by the wind. I am surprised that Doug has not taken a video of my swearing and slapping the water with my paddle during these conditions. I must be a sight of chaos. Consequently, my boat gets pushed by wind and waves in multiple directions all at once. Even when I load my boat down with rocks in bow and stern I can still have this nightmare experience. The result is if I try really, really hard I basically stay in the same place. That is, if I am lucky. If I am not so lucky, which is most of the time, I get pushed back, make no headway and I end up dangerously close to crashing waves on rocks. One recent paddle while using my wing, the conditions were such that the waves and current pushed my boat beyond my control (surprise, right?). My boat was pushed to a point where the bow was perpendicular to the wave crest. With no traction from the wing, my boat was forced into an "L" shape position. Imagine that my body is the line on the bottom of the "L"shape, if you will. The bow and cockpit were clear out of the water and I was being pushed back on to the rocks. But I was lucky enough to be paddling with Bob Levine who towed me some distances just so I could make headway. If I was paddling with less experienced paddlers or by myself, I would of been in serious trouble. Humbling to say the least. Les

Hi Gary, I go to two places: Trader Joes and "whole paycheck" Whole Foods. First Trader Joes :single packet rice (frozen foods section). Don't bother with the cooked brown rice packet -that is not frozen --ugh. The Indian packets -- eggplant is the best, chick peas - second best. They also have dried string beans that I crunch up on my Indian meal. When you and I camped Marshall, you liked those string beans. Go to the Asian section of TJ -- they have noodles you just soak in hot water - cellophane noodles. You don't need to use the whole package at once. Italian section -- they have packets of dried pasta -- chive and spinach pasta,basil, etc -- a little more than one person serving but not by much. Depending on my paddling day, I have been know to eat my fair share of that pasta with little or no waste. The dried fruit section has packets of strawberries, blueberries, etc to put on your cereal as well as individual packets of oatmeal. They have individual packets of nuts and berries. Then off to Whole Foods -- Go to the soup section --look for" Food Co" brand -- they have vegetarian soups in pouches as well a chick peas and other beans. "Pacific" brand also has small containers of soups and dips. There are also tubes of pesto sauce that are reusable. For breads -- I just get the dark rye crackers from Ryvita or any hard tack bread for PB & J I drink almond milk -- they have small packets of this milk as well. Hope this is helpful -- Les

Tonight is a go -- will check with Walden to see if Park is open around 3:00 pm. Walden when it closes usually reopens at 3:00 pm. Hope you can join us -- it will be a beautiful night on the water -- Optional stupid kayak trick contest: Balancing paddle on head. Les

I will be at Walden tonight for the skills and stupid kayak tricks session tonite. Hope others can join me -- Les

It looks from the feedback I have gotten about today's session that now is not the right time -- next week seems to work better to start the season. Many people have expressed interest but can not start until next week. Today's session is cancelled and we will start next week -- Les

Hi Brian, I will be at the Walden sessions and will have my GPs. I have a Superior, a wood GP from Norway for rocks/surf and a wood Adanac Paddle. I also have a GP paddle that a old-time member of NSPN made me -- Sing -- which you are also welcome to use. In addition, I have 3 Norsaq paddles available for you to use. Les

The Walden Pond Sessions will probably be starting some time in June. The water is a wee bit nippy so some warmer weather will make rolling practice more enjoyable. For those of us who get cold quickly, warmer water means more time in the water. So what about the second week in June as a start date? I am in the middle of house renovations so I might not be able to attend every Wednesday night --- people arrive between 5-5:30 and stay until closing-- Les

Thanks everyone for your insight to the Exuma navigational challenge quiz. It was a fun trip -- would go back tomorrow if I had time and cash. If anyone is looking for a place to go during the cold winter months - I highly recommend the Exumas. I located a great place to stay that is reasonably-priced. Blaine told me that when visiting these islands, bring some food staples because it can get expensive. Thank you Blaine --helpful for a vegetarian. You are all correct including Pru -- supposedly the Bermuda Triangle is nearby. What I learned about navigation was worth the trip alone. Number # 1 big lesson --when in doubt, WATCH THE WATER. If you're not sure what direction the water is flowing, let the boat drift. The drifting may take time to accurately determine if its winds or water that is moving the boat. That's how I got caught in the shallows -- I could of swore (literally) it was the water moving the boat but it was the winds - the water was actually moving in the opposite direction and it was the winds pushing the boat. It wasn't until the third day of paddling that I got this trick and it is how I avoided shallow waters in the future. When in doubt, let go of the expectations (charts, weather and tide predictions, etc) and just watch and feel (hands in water) the water flow. # 2. When getting local knowledge, make sure the person who is giving the information has actually been on the water in that specific area. The person who told us about the Pelican Cay was a local kayaker but never did the trip only "heard" it was a good trip on a calm day. They also did not live on the Island full-time. Luckily, we listened to a more knowledgeable local source who strongly advised against the trip given the death toll. # 3 Paddling the Exumas is not paddling the Northeast - duh. Variations in tide predictions can happen in short distances. We only had access to predictions for Exuma Harbor which was 18 miles away. The daily variation was more or less an hour off from our launch site and did not consider local shoreline changes (shifting sands) that affected tidal predictions. # 4 Weather predictions could only be accessed for Nassau not the Exumas. What happens in Nassau weather-wise does not necessarily apply to the Exumas - minor detail. Windpro did have more accurate local weather predictions but it could not be accessed when the internet was down. # 5 Don't depend on a sea rescue happening anytime soon given the erratic nature of telecommunication services and an Island nuance called "Bahama Time" meaning no need to rush. Also, if you get caught in a ripping current on the ocean side -- your next stop could be the Cape Verde Islands. Better to have a Plan B: paddle close to shore line and hustle on up to the road when in need. The snorkeling in the Exumas is highly recommended. There is a way where you tie the boat to your pdf, hold on to the cockpit and lay as flat as possible in the water without splashing. The boat drifts along and the fish are not distracted with the splashing vibe so they forget you're there. Unfortunately did not do night snorkeling -- next time. There is a place on the Islands where a cook feeds wild sting rays conch. The rays are so tame that they come and glide their wings over your legs thinking you have conch to feed them. They feel like a wet dog nose. You do not want however, to pet wild sting rays elsewhere. Globally, critical injuries from sting rays surpass sharks - more people are hurt by sting rays than sharks. If you get stung by one of these babies they can cause severe neurological and muscle damage. So be careful where you stand in the water. Les

Karen G and I recently spent a week at the glorious, warm and friendly Exumas. We rented a small cottage from an English woman, Valerie, who has lived on Great Exuma for 50 years. The cottages located between Great and Little Exuma were clean, close to the water, not fancy and very reasonably priced. If its nightlife,cruise ships, casinos, booze, hangovers, and off-key renditions of Jimmy Buffet songs you want, then skip the Exumas. I paddled every day except for one day to go snorkeling. My trip lengths were any were from 10-15 miles a day. For those of you who are not familiar with the Exuma landscape, the waters are shallow and then drop dramatically, especially on the north or ocean side of the islands (key clue). Given the shallow waters, no cruise ships anchor in the harbor. Sail boats and motor boats are limited in the direction they can navigate resulting in little or no boat traffic where we launched. Tides run from west to east not north to south. There are more than 30 different cays or keys that surround the larger islands (clue # 2). Before leaving on this trip, I ordered and failed to get charts of the Great and Little Exuma Islands. The only charts available in the US for these islands are the Chandler Books - which means you have to buy an expensive large chart book designed for sailors. Most of the charts in this book did not apply to my trip plans. Karen G contacted Carl Ladd (Osprey) who has taken people on trips to to this destination and was very helpful. His advice was buy charts on the Islands -- cheaper and more practical. I brought my IPad that has all the latest navigation tools including Windpro plus, Navionics, Tide App, several different weather apps, tide graph, sunrise & sunset, and a half a dozen other apps not mentioned. I also had several different types of nav equipment (including a deck compass, hand-held, bearing, nav aid, waterproof pencils, distance/time aid, etc.). Upon request and arrival, the outfitter that rented us kayaks (plastic Looksha-no fiberglass boats on the Island due to strong UV rays) did give each of us a Chandler Chart Book of the area. Before leaving on this trip, I prepped by spending hours on the web reading accounts of sailing in the Exumas as well as making notes of Nigel D's two accounts (he paddled the Exuams last year). At night, I prepared for the next day trip by going over the charts, plotting the course and then double-checking with Navionics. Windpro plus was used as a reference for wind, tide, currents, wave heights/time, and weather. Estimated time for different bearings for each trip was noted. In the morning, I double-checked my work from the night before and made any necessary corrections to the trip plan. We brought along our VHFs and coded those for international waters making them accessible for local weather and emergencies. Before I left on a paddle, I talked to Valerie, told her where I was going and asked for local knowledge. Valerie was my nav guru - experienced sailor/boat person. She knew the waters, knew what to look for and where not to go given the day's weather conditions. Based on her assessment and advice, I would again adjust my plans. Summary of individual trip plans: I knew tides and direction of tides, wind direction, weather, nav information (compass directions, distance, time, land markers, sunset, etc) and, local knowledge. Okay, sounds good, right? I also stayed close to shore in shallower waters and limited my crossings. If anything happened, the quickest exit was get to shore asap, tie up my boat, climb over the brush, make my way to the one major road on the island and hitch my way back to Valerie. Otherwise, use my VHF to notify Exuma Coast Guard. Outcome: Little of my prep mattered. The tides never or just barely matched the forecast. I rarely knew when it was going to be slack or flood at a given location. The weather forecast on the VHF was from Nassau not Exuma. The telecommunication systems were completely shut down for two days due to some reason no one knew (no phone, no internet, no GPS). The tide would supposedly be slack and I'd paddle along at a leisure pace only to be swept into a race that resembled something out of Cobscook (sp) (whirlpools and all). I also paddled in slack currents and then suddenly be be pushed so fast I did not even need to paddle and, vice versa. It was recommended that we paddle on the ocean side to Pelican Cay to go snorkeling only to be told by Valerie that three people have been lost over the years at this Cay -- bodies never found again. Depending on where I was paddling, weather was suppose to be clear, little to no winds, calm seas only to be heavy showers, strong winds and swells. The charts would show an island to have a cut or a place to land only to find upon arrival no cut or place to land. There are days when I thought I was doing a short 10 mile jaunt only to feel like I just did 25 miles. Based on the chart, I would stay close to shore during low tide to follow a deeper channel only to find the channel run dry. Any guess as to what was going on? What could I done differently? Les (And yes, the Swearing Ferret did have her moments of free-flowing expression when grounded on a sand bar and lugging a heavy, bulky plastic boat to the next flowing waterway).

Thank you John for your informative presentation. I do have a quick question. On the charts you distributed, you mark nautical miles across the chart. You do this by drawing linear lines with an angle based on mag.north, correct? When I try to replicate this technique, it takes me forever to draw all those lines across the area to be paddled. Do you have a quick way to draw the lines?

Hi Sherri, I have a Pilgrim Expedition LV. My boat is a prototype from Tom B who helped design the boat and it was on special order. It has 50/50 layup with custom bulkheads. During Greg's Gale symposium, Nigel told a friend of mine that more boats like mine are being made so there may be more coming to the US in the near future. The boat handles like no other boat I have had or paddled- it has gotten me out of situations in a blink of an eye. I had my Impex Force 3 for over 7 years and that boat is fine for going fast, getting to where you are going and, expedition camping. It is not necessarily a play boat for rocks and surf. The Impex was not an easy boat to roll but that has more to do with my size/weight -- it was a lot of boat for me to roll. The Pilgrim is designed more for rolling than the Impex Force 3. It may not be as fast but it has lots of other advantages that the Force 3 does not match. The Pilgrim is designed specifically for the small paddler as opposed to a smaller version of a larger boat. The Avocet LV felt like paddling a bathtub -- but that happens when I paddle most boats. Les

It is funny you should mention this destination. I have a cousin who lives in the area who paddles and we are in the process of nailing down the logistics for this summer adventure. I have used the Living Adventure Outfitters (Wisconsin) for a trip down to the Yucatan one year. They are a NDK distributer and do rent NDKs on a weekly basis - not cheap but they are a reliable outfitter with an ecological bent. They also have guided trips to the Apostle Islands. During the summer months, my cousin has a boat and he takes tourists around to see the sights so he knows the area well. Once I get a chance to start planning the trip with him I will share with you what I know and what he recommends -- You may want to check out Nigel Foster's article on paddling Lake Superior -- he wrote it a couple of years ago --someone must have a copy -- Also, there are no tides and the winds do kick up causing some challenging conditions when least expected -- Les

You can call me Lester after the next 5 day kayak camping trip -- like the one we did from Birch H to Machias R -- cuz I probably look and smell like a Lester (no offense to the Lesters out there reading this Message Board)-- Les aka Lester

Hi Rick, Sorry about the Janet versus the Janis. I called Nancy's husband Warren instead of Wayne and now I called your wife janet instead of Janis --must be I am just getting old or two much water in my head from all that rolling. I have my Impex Force 3 that Janis is welcome to use for the pool sessions season. You can pick it up at my house in Somerville or I can meet you somewhere and we can exchange the boat before the next pool session that you are attending. It just is a little difficult for me to load two boats on my car -- I would have to change the layout of the brackets then load the boats -- can do it but not so easy in cold weather. The cons: Impex Force 3 however is not an easy boat to roll due to its back deck being so high; as you know, it is built for speed and is not as responsive as some other boats. The Romany is a better roller than the Force 3. But I find the Romany cockpit too big for me. The pros: The layout of the Force 3 is for the smaller paddler and Janis should fit in it just fine. Les

Let's not forget that Janet S. (Rick's better half) got her roll down -- Congratulations Janet -- next we will get you to do the Butterfly roll-- Les